COSG Codex/Citadel and the Federation
Primary Codex Entries Citadel The Citadel is an ancient long standing mass relay station that was created by the Reapers as a gateway to dark space. For hundreds of years, it was believed to of been a station constructed by the Protheans, though its true purpose was discovered when the rogue spectre Saren attempted to activate the relay and release the Reapers upon the galaxy. It survived Saren’s attack, and it survived attempted attacks by Cerberus and the Reaper invasion itself. It serves as the central political, financial, and cultural capital of the Galactic Federation of Allied Systems. A vast majority of civilizations and governments within the galaxy have councilors serving onboard the galactic council, as well as embassies to represent their interest. The center of the citadel is the tower, the breadbasket of galactic politics as it seats the council chambers. Here the Galactic Council monitored by the High Councilors make decisions that shape the galactic political climate. Five arms, known as the wards, extend from the Presidium. Their inner surfaces have been built into cities, populated by millions of inhabitants from across the galaxy. Over the centuries the Citadel has represented an ideal utopia to most, though deep within its streets the Citadel is as dangerous as anywhere in the galaxy. The citadel itself is nearly indestructible, the five arms are capable of sealing, creating a solid shell to protect the citizens within. Though Saren’s Geth army, Cerberus, as well as the Reapers were able to penetrate the station. Since its creation, the Citadel has been operated by Keepers, a strange docile race bio-engineered by the Reapers to maintain the Citadel. Despite the destruction of the Reapers and the temporary destruction of synthetic life, the Keepers have lived on, continuing to operate the Citadel efficiently. Galactic Federation of Allied Systems The Galactic Federation of Allied Systems is the ruling government of Citadel Space, and the successor the Citadel Council. Though the council still exist, it has been altered greatly after a political revolution led by Raul Mourinho led to the creation of the GFAS. Due to the growing amount of independent governments across the galaxy it became clear that a representative for only the Turians, Humans, Salarians and Asari was not enough. A new galactic council was formed to operate as a legislative branch for the government, while a high council served as the executive branch and the moderators of the galactic council. As 2267 CE, the Galactic Council consist of over 100 governments and civilizations across the galaxy. Despite a change in the infrastructure of the galaxy, most of the power within the council is held by the older governments. The humans and the Systems Alliance have a strong voice in politics, as well as the Turians and Asari. Though the Asari have lost some esteem due to their knowledge of their Prothean foundations. The Krogans have also gained a strong position within the Federation, though the Salarians have lost much of their former respect following the Salarian Civil War. Any civil government is welcomed into the Federation and automatically receives a seat on the galactic council. Their are measures in place so that the Council does not accept any possible military-states or fascist states, despite this though, some have found their way into the Council. These members represent the interest of their own community and each have a say on galactic situations. Independent governments are also allowed temporary spots on the council in order to voice their own interest or to request aid from the Federation. However all issues still fall into the hands of the High Council, who have the most political power in the Federation. Federation Space Federation Space is the unofficial term referring to any region of space controlled by the Federation or its associated governments. Though it seems most of the galaxy is within this territory much of the space is unexplored, as only 8% of stars have been reached. The space has also adjusted in size due to wars across the galaxy, specifically the Batarian Incursions and the Dominion War. The Attican Traverse virtually marks the border of Citadel Space, serving as a gab between the frontier and the Terminus Systems, as well as serving as a barrier between Federation Space, and Dominion Space as well as the other unaffiliated aggressive planet-states of the galactic core. . Even mass-effect-FTL drive is slow relative to the volume of the galaxy. Empty space and systems without suitable drive discharge sites are barriers to exploration. Only the mass relays allow ships to jump hundreds of light years in an instant, the key to expanding across an otherwise impassable galaxy. Whenever a new relay is activated, the destination system is rapidly developed. From that hub, FTL drive is used to expand to nearby star clusters. The result is a number of densely-developed clusters thinly spread across the vast expanse of space, connected by the mass relay network. Federation Military Prior to the galactic reformation, the Citadel and the species were only protected by their own militaries, there wasn’t a unified peace keeping force dedicated to the protection of the council governments and their territories. After the reformation, the GFAS formed the Federation Armed Forces, several branches composed of soldiers from species across the galaxy. The branches include a naval and marine force, the army, citadel defense force, as well as intelligence agencies and other forces. The bulk of personnel serving in the Federation military were humans and turians due to their tenacity and bravery. Though the force lacks the strength and power of the Systems Alliance and the Turian forces, it is mobile and easily adapts, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Spectres Much like the galaxy had reformed, the Spectres reformed as well. Once feared yet glorified agents of the Citadel Council, they had now become guardians to the Federation and the galaxy as a whole, this was due to Commander Shepard’s heroics against the Reapers, changing the ideals a Spectre should represent. In the past they served as right hand to the council, but now they operate under their own jurisdiction, an organized agency, and are only advised by the council, with authorization to act how they see fit to protect the sanctity of the galaxy. Though they now have an organized agency in which they operate through, Spectres still mostly work alone or in small groups, each of which report directly to command station on the citadel. Within its ranks the Spectres have different branches, some operating through diplomacy, economics, and politics. But most are combat operatives, with permission to operate how they wish across the galaxy to resolve issues. The Spectres were founded after the salarians joined the Council. For many years, they operated in secrecy, as back-room "problem solvers". Only after the Krogan Rebellions did their activities become publicized. Assignment of a Spectre is less contentious than military deployment, but makes it clear that the Federation is concerned about a situation. After the Reaper War, Spectres became even more glamorous among the galaxy. Secondary Codex Entries Battle of the Citadel In 2183, a rogue Spectre named Saren Arterius attacked the Citadel through a functioning mass relay hidden inside a statue on the Presidium. Saren brought a combined force of krogan and geth infantry from Ilos, timing the attack so that he would be at the Citadel's controls when the geth fleet and his flagship, Sovereign, arrived. In the battle that followed, the Destiny Ascension dreadnought evacuated the Citadel Council, but ordered the wards' arms closed, sealing them and the geth inside an impregnable shell, cutting off any reinforcements or escape. This combative tactic would have wholly destroyed the Council fleet were it not for the actions of Commander Shepard, who had followed Saren through the relay from Ilos. Led by Shepard's ship Normandy, the Systems Alliance's Fifth Fleet assembled under the command of Admiral Hackett and waited just outside the Citadel's closed arms. Meanwhile, Shepard fought Saren's forces inside the Citadel and eventually forced the ward arms open again. The Normandy defended the Destiny Ascension as it fled, saving the lives of the Citadel Council. Taking its cue from the Normandy, the Fifth Fleet supported the withdrawal, and took heavy losses from Sovereign's advanced firepower. At about the same time Shepard killed Saren, Sovereign's once-impervious kinetic barrier overloaded and the Fifth Fleet focused its military might to shatter the flagship. The geth fleet was soon decimated without its leader. In gratitude for the many human lives sacrificed to save it, the Council made the unprecedented move of offering humans the chance to become a Council race. Ambassador Donnel Udina and Captain David Anderson accepted this honor on behalf of their species. The Reaper War and Reconstruction In 2186, with the Galaxy consumed by the Reaper invasion, the Citadel itself was soon discovered to be the key to defeating the Reapers, an integral part of the Crucible super weapon. The Reapers, aware of this, sacked the station and took control of it, relocating it to the Sol System were the bulk of the Reaper forces were gathered. The casualty count was astronomical, but Citadel Security, commanded by Armando Bailey, fought the Reapers valiantly, waging a guerrilla war inside the station and saving millions. Eventually, the war came to a point at the battle of Earth, were the United Fleet launched an assault to retake Earth and the Citadel to activate the Crucible. The following battle was harrowing, and nearly failed, but the Shepard again persevered, and led the United forces to victory. He activated the Crucible, which created a network of biotic beams using the Mass Effect relays, wiping synthetic life, including the Reapers, and ending the Cycle of Death. The Crucible however, heavily damaged the Citadel and the Relays. Over the next decade, repairs were made to the damaged station, and it was decided it would remain the galactic hub. New additions were made, even the labyrinthine structures beneath the Citadel that were discovered were converted into newer, lower income housing as well as other facilities. Major changes continued to be, with the entire Council tower being renovated to support the voices of the dozens of new civilizations that were joining the Council. Entire new sectors were carved out of the arms as the population more than doubled. After reaching its lowest points, the Citadel sky rocketed to new highs in regards to design and architecture. Galactic Conventions These diplomatic talks occurred in the wake of the Krogan Rebellions, as a response to the destruction of the conflict and an attempt to distance the Council from the brutal krogan warfare. The Conventions regulate the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction. A WMD causes environmental alteration to a world. A bomb that produces a large crater is not considered a WMD; a bomb that causes a "nuclear winter" is. Use of WMD is forbidden on "garden" worlds like Earth, with ecospheres that can readily support a population. If a habitable world is destroyed, it will not be replaced for millions of years. The Conventions do not forbid the use of WMD on hostile worlds or in sealed space-station environments. Many militaries continue to develop and maintain stockpiles. The Conventions graded Weapons of Mass Destruction into tiers of concern. Tier I is the greatest threat to galactic peace. TIER I: Large kinetic impacters, such as asteroid drops or de-orbited space stations. Effectively free and available in any system (in the form of debris left over from planetary accretion), kinetic impacters are the weapons of choice for terrorists and "third galaxy" nations. TIER II: Uncontrolled self-replicating weapons, such as nanotechnology, viral or bacteriological organisms, "Von Neumann devices", and destructive computer viruses. These weapons can lie dormant for millennia, waiting for a careless visitor to carry them on to another world. TIER III: Large energy-burst weapons such as nuclear or antimatter warheads. TIER IV: Alien species deliberately introduced to crowd out native forms necessary for the health of an ecosystem. Ecological tampering can take years to bear fruit, making it difficult to prove. The conventions also came again following the Geth Incursions and the Reaper invasions, on the subject of synthetic research, due to the devastation synthetics had caused across the galaxy. The Citadel council banned all synthetic research in the galaxy, and enforced the issue to an extreme extent. The galactic council chose to uphold the former council’s decision as well. Citadel Security Services (C-SEC) C-Sec is a volunteer police service answering to the Citadel Council. The 450,000 constables of C-Sec are responsible for maintaining public order in the densely populated Citadel. They also provide pirate suppression, customs enforcement, and search-and-rescue throughout the Citadel cluster. It’s power has grown after being integrated into the Federation Military. C-Sec has six primary functions: *ENFORCEMENT - Uniformed officers who patrol the Citadel and respond to emergencies. *INVESTIGATION - Detectives who puzzle out the truth behind crimes and bring perpetrators to justice. *CUSTOMS - Screen the thousands of passengers and cargo containers that pass through the Citadel's ports every day. *NETWORK - Deals with "cybercrimes" like identity and copyright theft, hacking and viral attacks, and illegal artificial intelligence. *SPECIAL RESPONSE - Deals with hostage situations, bombs, and heavily armed criminals. In the unlikely event that attackers board the Citadel, they are also the front line of defense, armed with military grade equipment. *PATROL - Naval arm, with ships stationed throughout the Citadel cluster. Unlike the other divisions, they are rarely seen at the Citadel, nor do they stay in one place long. Each sector has multiple special units and divisions, and each ward has multiple sectors as well. This differs from the C-Sec design pre-Federation, which simply consisted of six divisions to support the entire station. As population grew, the size of C-Sec did as well. Joining C-Sec is no longer a difficult task like it was prior to the reformation. Applicants are taken from across the Citadel itself, placed within a training academy which has had a 75% graduation rate. The size of the C-Sec forces has tripled since the formation of the Federation as well. Citadel Foundations The "undersides" of the Wards between the inhabited superstructures and impenetrable outer hull are called the Foundations. These dangerous areas are filled with life support systems and power plants. Officially, only the keepers are allowed in the Foundations. In reality, the Foundations are the slums of the Citadel, home to criminals, minorities, transients, and the occasional "stateless" exiles. Some stay in the Foundations of their own will. Others end up there when the opportunities they sought in the Citadel do not come. The station's recycling systems are located in the Foundations. These manufacture a variety of artificial organic pastes that can be eaten for sustenance. They are free and nutritious but nearly tasteless and of unpleasant texture. Poorer Citadel residents quickly become adept at dressing up this bland fare with sauces and spices while imported foodstuffs are a popular luxury of the wealthy. Citadel: Presidium Ring The Ring is an enclosed loop of park-like space serving as the connection point for the Wards. The interior walls are lined with the embassies of influential governments and private residences for the galaxy's elite. The Presidium is full of "open-air" restaurants, bars, and luxurious meeting areas. Gravity is about 1/3 Earth-normal. A holographic "sky" is projected over the "ceiling" of the ring. Unlike the 24/7 bustle of the Wards, the Presidium maintains a 20-hour day schedule, with a six-hour "night" where lights are dimmed and the sky goes through a night cycle. Offices and residences are often open to the interior. It is not unusual for embassies to have no exterior wall at all. This does not cause a crime problem due to the heavy C-Sec presence and ubiquitous monitoring devices on the Presidium. Thieves are quickly identified and apprehended. The Ring is the location of the Citadel's spaceports. Being closer to the center of the spin, there is less motion for a ship to match, and the reduced spin gravity makes handling cargo easier. Hundreds of ships pass through the Citadel every day, and every species with an embassy is granted a private dock. The Tower, at the center of the Ring, holds the administration of the Galactic Council. The Tower rises over a kilometer from the ring, appearing to thrust forward parallel to the ward arms. As the Tower is at the center of the spin axis, it experiences little centrifugal force. Gravity is maintained using mass effect fields at a 90-degree angle to the Ring and Wards. A Consular dock can be found at the base of the Tower. While normally used for diplomatic couriers and Spectre business, the shuttles docked here can evacuate the Council government in an emergency. Citadel: Statistics Although the Citadel is equipped with mass-effect-generating element zero cores, most of the gravity on the station is generated by the centrifugal force of rotation. *Rotation: 3.5 minutes per revolution *Rotational Gravity in Wards: 1.02 Earth *Rotational Gravity in Presidium: 0.3 Earth *Total Length (Open): 44.7 km *Diameter (Open): 12.8km *Ward Length: 43.6km *Ward Width: 330m *Presidium Ring Diameter: 7.2 km *Presidium Ring Width: 553 m *Exterior Armor Thickness: 13 m *Population: 13.2 million (not including keepers) *Gross Mass: 7.11 billion metric tons *Height of the Presidium Tower: 1047 m Citadel: Wards The majority of the Citadel's population lives in the Wards, the five massive arms of the station that house the residential and commercial districts. Many galactic races have established cultural enclaves here. Population density and cost of living are extremely high, akin to Earth cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. The Wards are open-topped, with skyscrapers rising from the superstructure. Towers are sealed against vacuum, as the breathable atmosphere envelope is only maintained to a height of about seven meters. The atmosphere is contained by the centrifugal force of rotation and a "membrane" of dense, colorless sulfur hexa-fluoride gas, held in place by carefully managed mass effect fields. The view from the Wards is spectacular. In the background, stars, Serpent Nebula, and the nearby blue giant called "the Widow" move across the sky as the station rotates to stabilize itself. In the foreground, the lights of buildings and vehicles on the opposing Ward arms perpetually shine. The Citadel has no real day or night. While the station keeps to standard galactic time for political functions, business rarely close, and residents acclimate to sleep and work according to personal need rather than a day-night cycle. Additions and modifications are constantly being constructed, though they must stay within certain specifications that will not compromise the operation of the station. Occasionally, the keepers will descend on an area of the Wards and move or change the architecture without explanation. Residents have learned to live with these inexplicable intrusions. The wards are divided into descending levels, reaching down into the Foundation's sectors. The high up one lives, the better their life standards typically are, as cost of living at the highest levels of the wards is expensive. The wards are then divided into sectors, and each sector has its own unique cultural background as well. Category:Codex Category:COSG Category:Chronicles of a Silent Galaxy Category:Background Category:WolfOfTheEast Category:Articles by WolfOfTheEast Category:Citadel